Movie Logs

Due: Wednesdays at 5:10 pm (start of class).

What is a Movie Log?

For each week there is a 2-page "movie log" for you to fill out during the movie and then at home while you do the associated reading assignment. No collaboration is permitted. Make notes on the log or a piece of paper during the movie. The movie log includes quesitons about the readings as well.

How Do I Submit a Movie Log?

Please write your answers on a printed movie log and submit that paper. You can type it digitally and then print it or use legible handwriting. UC Davis does not have or support a digital submissions technology suitable for this purpose at this time.

When Are Movie Logs Due and How Are They Graded?

Logs are due at the beginning of the main class meeting each week (i.e., Wednesdays at 5:10 pm). Each log will be worth 10 points and will be graded on the basis of coherence of your reasoning only, regardless of what your beliefs are. Each movie log answer turned in after 5:10 pm will receive a 50% deduction.

What Types of Movie Logs Are There?

There are two different types of movie logs. One type is called a "Double-entry log". For this type, there are two columns on the page. The left column usually requires you to identify something shown in the movie. The right column usually requires you to provide your perspective on the item you list in the left column. A minimum of 4 listings of entries is required for your double-entry log. If you need more space, use the back of the page.

The second type of movie log is a "word chart". When you do word charting, the goal is to identify the causes and consequences of a problem. In the center of the word chart is the key word or phrase. Above that are boxes with arrows leading into it. The arrows mean that the boxes represent things that *cause* the key phrase. Each of those boxes has a title phrase to categorize it. You are supposed to identify individual examples of each category, with a minimum of 3 items per box/question. Similarly, the arrows below the key phrase indicate that the phrase in turn impacts other categories of things. You need to itemize examples of those as well. For example, consider the word chart for "The River". The key phrase was "River Flood". Above that was "Societal Factors". So you need to identify societal factors that *cause* floods. To do that, you might find some ideas from the movie or from the reading. If those are insufficient, try going onto your favorite web search site and type "societal factors causing floods". That will give you plenty of ideas of examples of such factors. Note that "Environmental Impacts" are consequences that affect the totality of surroundings outside of the human experience. Anything human-centric could not be considered an environmental impact. For example, crops destroyed by a flood would be a socio-economic impact, not an environmental impact. It is ok to use phrases or bulleted lists on the word chart.

Both types of movie logs have a front and back side (or 2 pages, depending on how they are printed). The back side of a movie log contains 1-2 questions about the reading. You should read the questions and have them in your mind as you are doing the reading. Provide your own brief answer to each question based on what you glean out of the reading.

Movie Log Digital Files

The movie log files are available on the course Smartsite as well as on the web pages for each week.